Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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5 February 2016
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By Sameer Hashmi
Mumbai Business press reporter
It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 runs to win versus Australia.
In his two-bedroom home in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his best hand.
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He has actually made more than 10 hire the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.
Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to face the last over he's changed his mind.
"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookie on the phone.
And a few minutes later his prediction comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.
"I have actually made $200 today," he states with a childlike glee.
For more than three decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.
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Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates flourish in the country.
'Black cash'
According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's prohibited sports betting market is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.
With no legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest private run scorer.
The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black cash", which is cash not stated to the taxman.
The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gaming, there is absolutely nothing similar here.
And overseas sports betting business are using this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with offshore firms.
"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online gambling," states Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.
But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which dominate the market.
Require legalisation
The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, saying it would assist secure down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.
The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.
Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some players and team officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.
The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax profits for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.
Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the right instructions.
"I do not mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can bet publicly," states our cricket gambler.
It would likewise open a huge organization opportunity for licensed bookies and global online wagering companies to establish operations in India.
And it would assist restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make transactions included in sports betting more transparent.
"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a really efficient approach of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.
But many also think, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookie will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to bet legally.
However, there are constraints.
"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.
He includes that people who use unaccounted cash to put huge bets will never ever gamble legally.
Approval concern
For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to sell.
"Even however many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for lots of," says our unnamed punter.
And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their area.
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"The procedure is so long and tricky that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon."
Yet with the concept having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least an argument has ignited around a topic - which previously was considered a taboo.
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For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised
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